JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER.
1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)
ISRAEL SATAN COMES AGAINST
1 CHRONICLES 21:1
1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.
GENESIS 12:1-3
1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I (GOD) will shew thee:
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3 And I will bless them that bless thee,(ISRAELIS) and curse (DESTROY) him that curseth thee:(DESTROY THEM) and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
ISAIAH 41:11
11 Behold, all they that were incensed against thee (ISRAEL) shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing;(DESTROYED) and they that strive with thee shall perish.(ISRAEL HATERS WILL BE TOTALLY DESTROYED)
ISRAELS TROUBLE
JEREMIAH 30:7
7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble;(ISRAEL) but he shall be saved out of it.
DANIEL 12:1,4
1 And at that time shall Michael(ISRAELS WAR ANGEL) stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people:(ISRAEL) and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation(May 14,48) even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro,(WORLD TRAVEL,IMMIGRATION) and knowledge shall be increased.(COMPUTERS,CHIP IMPLANTS ETC)
Hamas bolsters Gaza’s Egypt border in bid to ease tensions-Cairo regularly accuses terror group of supporting attacks on its soil, has largely kept its border crossing with enclave closed since 2013-By AFP April 14, 2016, 11:32 pmTHE TIMES OF ISRAEL
Hamas began deploying additional forces on the Gaza Strip border with Egypt on Thursday, the interior ministry said, in an apparent effort to ease Cairo’s concerns about security.“National security forces started today to increase the number of its troops and double the security bases along all the southern border with Egypt to be able to control the border better,” spokesman Iyad al-Bazm told AFP.He said they had established three new bases immediately.“This is a message that we are concerned with border security and stability,” Bazm said, adding nobody would be allowed “to touch the security of Egypt.”Hamas forces were seen setting up about 10 temporary buildings along the border.Bulldozers flattened the land near the frontier in apparent preparation for more temporary structures.A Palestinian security officer called the measures “important new security arrangements to reassure the brothers in Egypt the border is secure.”A delegation headed by Hamas political bureau member Moussa Abu Marzouk held talks in Egypt last month aimed at normalizing relations that have been strained since the overthrow of Islamist president Mohammed Morsi in 2013.Morsi had good relations with Hamas, the Islamist rulers of the Gaza Strip, but his replacement President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has cracked down on his Muslim Brotherhood movement.Cairo regularly accuses Hamas of supporting attacks in Egypt and has largely kept its border with Gaza closed since 2013.It has also destroyed hundreds of Palestinian tunnels used to smuggle commercial goods, cash, people and, allegedly, weapons.The Hamas interior ministry said 2015 was the worst year for the Rafah border crossing in recent years, saying it was open for just 21 days in total.
IDF: Next conflict with Hamas will take place on Israel’s terms-Top Israeli officer says terror group unprepared for future war, and while it is building new rockets, blockade makes materials hard to obtain-By Judah Ari Gross April 14, 2016, 7:46 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
Hamas is amassing fighters and materiel at a “surprisingly” quick pace in the Gaza Strip, a senior IDF officer told reporters on Thursday, but the terror group does not appear to be prepared for renewed direct conflict with Israel in the near future.He stressed the terrorist organization would not again drag Israel into a war, and that any future conflict will be one undertaken at the initiative of the Jewish state.Since the 2014 Operation Protective Edge in the beleaguered Strip, Hamas has been working tirelessly to replace its diminished ranks and rocket arsenal — and with some success, the high-ranking Southern Command officer told reporters.“Hamas is a highly intelligent enemy. They surprise me and learn their lessons very quickly,” he said.In the nearly two years since summer 2014, the terror organization has replenished some of its ranks, principally in its special forces and commando naval units, the officer said.Hamas now has some 5,000 fighters in its special forces and has also filled out its middle and upper ranks, with 25 battalion and brigade commanders, the official said.Its short-range rocket and mortar programs have become a focus for the organization as well, in order to replace the thousands of missiles fired at Israel during Operation Protective Edge. Some of these new rockets have warheads that contain of hundreds of pounds of explosive material, which Israel has not seen up until now, the officer said.Some medium- and long-range rockets have also been developed, as evident by test-fires into the sea off the Gaza coast, the officer said. However, these efforts have been hindered somewhat by Hamas’s inability to acquire the necessary materials for their construction, due to Israel’s careful guarding of the borders.“Hamas is not yet mass producing mortars because of its difficulties in obtaining raw materials,” he said.The group has, however, made strides in the production of drones and other advanced technologies, under the direction of Iran, the officer added.Unprepared for a full campaign against Israel, the terror organization, which has ruled the Gaza Strip for nearly a decade, now fears the IDF will initiate an attack against it, instead of only responding to Hamas acts of aggression, according to the officer.“Hamas fears a surprise attack,” he said.As such, the organization has worked to prevent instigators from giving Israel any reason to carry out operations in the Strip.“Hamas has created a defensive force that preserves the ceasefire and prevents terror attacks against Israel,” the officer said. “In places where there has been rocket fire, Hamas has rushed to stop those firing [them].”‘Hamas has been mindful to send us messages that it’s working against the terror attacks against us [in the Gaza Strip]’-In the year and a half since the 2014 war, several dozen rockets have been fired at Israel, almost entirely by terror organizations besides Hamas.“Even the recent improvised explosive device incidents — the latest one involved an old IED — were carried out by rogue groups,” he said.In that latest incident, which took place early Friday morning of last week, an IED detonated next to an Israeli D9 bulldozer, causing no injury or damage.“Hamas has been mindful to send us messages that it’s working against the terror attacks against us [in the Gaza Strip],” the officer said.However, the group has also encouraged and applauded the six-month wave of terror attacks taking place in the West Bank and Israel, he added.“This is the assessment of both the IDF and the other security bodies,” the officer said.-Israeli plans for war-The IDF will not be dragged into conflict with Hamas, but will initiate any conflict with the terrorist group, the officer said.“We won’t follow in the enemy’s footsteps,” he added.The IDF has therefore drawn up an extensive battle plan for its troops, including “details and defining characteristics” of the enemy battalions.“We have a plan to overwhelm the military branch of Hamas. Every one of our battalions will fight on its way to a destination, will kill as many Hamas operatives as possible and will harm the organization’s infrastructure as much as possible,” he said.“This plan rests on the defense of the area surrounding the Gaza Strip — under the authority of the Gaza Division — while moving the areas [where troops] gather away from the threat of mortars,” the officer said.This is presumably a lesson learned from 2014’s Operation Protective Edge, in which some of the military casualties came from direct hits of mortar shells on IDF camps set up outside the border.“We need to be surprising and forceful. Our air power will be more meaningful and effective. Not just casual firepower. The plan will allow us different options, from a deterring strike to a full occupation of the Strip,” the Southern Command officer said.-Don’t forget the Islamic State-Across Israel’s southwestern border, a small, but vicious ally of the Islamic State has been waging a bloody war with Egyptian forces since 2011.While the fighting has overwhelmingly remained inside Sinai and against Egypt, the understanding within Israel is that the Jewish state is next.“We have an interest in the Egyptian army defeating the Islamic State and not losing its control over the northern Sinai,” the officer said.Some 1,000 IS fighters are currently in the peninsula, according to the officers, and they are outfitted with some advanced anti-aircraft weaponry and assistance from Hamas, the officer said.“We have allowed [the Egyptians] most of their requests to temporarily bring their troops into the air and land of Sinai,” he said, referring to the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt, which limits the number of soldiers that can enter the peninsula.“However, the entrance of artillery into the area, we have refused,” he added.
Mother of Hebron soldier pleads with PM for his release-In letter, parent of infantryman asks Netanyahu how on his watch an IDF soldier who kills a terrorist can be charged with manslaughter-By Times of Israel staff April 14, 2016, 11:21 pm
The mother of the IDF soldier facing manslaughter charges for shooting dead a disarmed Palestinian attacker in Hebron last month issued a public plea Thursday to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to have her son released.Earlier, the military prosecution lodged a declaration with the court that it will file the manslaughter indictment against the soldier early next week. The IDF’s chief prosecutor was also seeking to have the soldier remanded in jail until Monday, while his attorney argued the case could proceed without the suspect in custody.In a letter to the prime minister cited by Channel 2 television, the soldier’s mother said: “I ask you now, as the mother of a fighter, please do everything you can to make sure my son comes home.”“Enough is enough, I write to you with hands shaking, with a lump in my throat, [as] my family is falling apart. Every moment without my son, we are growing weaker,” she wrote.The soldier under investigation, whose name has been withheld by a gag order, was filmed shooting 21-year-old Abdel Fattah al-Sharif in the head on March 24, minutes after Sharif and another assailant stabbed and moderately wounded a soldier in Tel Rumeida, an Israeli enclave of Hebron. The two assailants were shot — one was killed, while Sharif was wounded — by an army officer during the course of their attack.The soldier and his family maintain that he believed al-Sharif might have had a suicide vest on and that he shot him out fear he might activate the bomb. Military prosecutors have reportedly said the soldier’s behavior at the scene did not indicate any such concern.“Is it appropriate that a fighter who neutralized a terrorist at the site of an attack be detained almost a whole month?” she asked, expressing her outrage over the manslaughter charge.“Manslaughter, for God’s sake, for neutralizing a terrorist! Is it conceivable that a dedicated, moral, acclaimed fighter be accused of manslaughter, under your watch, for shooting a terrorist?” she asked in her letter to Netanyahu.The soldier, who shot and killed Sharif some 10 minutes after he’d already been incapacitated and disarmed, was arrested by military police, but has been out of jail in supervised detention on an army base, amid a roiling political scandal over his actions and the military’s response.Prosecutor Adoram Reigler told the court last week that the military had gathered enough evidence to move forward with the manslaughter charge against the soldier, the Ynet news website said.Right-wing politicians and the soldier’s family have claimed he was “lynched” by the media, and demonstrators have called for him to be released.IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot has been criticized for the decision to investigate the incident, and Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon’s support of the military leader and condemnation of the act brought him into the row as well.“This is a case of a soldier gone bad, not a hero,” Ya’alon told the Knesset on March 28, as he slammed “all the fervor and false information and manipulation and attacks on the IDF chief.”Ya’alon has subsequently reiterated his critique of those who back the soldier, declaring last week that the IDF top brass and not “gang leaders” would determine how the IDF operates.The defense minister has come under an intense backlash for his comments and criticism against him took an extreme turn earlier this month, when doctored images of Ya’alon in the cross-hairs began circulating on a WhatsApp group for Likud activists. The images were accompanied by text declaring him “politically eliminated!” The text also reportedly said that since Ya’alon had criticized the soldier’s supporters, the Likud Central Committee would “assassinate” him in the party’s next internal elections.The accused soldier’s father has come out against the “incitement campaign” against Ya’alon while urging him to ensure his son has a fair trial given his “rush to judge” the soldier.
Erdogan urges Muslims to overcome splits, fight terror-At conference of Islamic body, Turkish president suggests multi-national police center to fight against jihadists-By Stuart Williams April 14, 2016, 9:54 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
ISTANBUL, Turkey (AFP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday urged dozens of Muslim leaders gathered for a summit in Istanbul to end sectarian divisions in the Islamic world and join forces to fight terror.Turkey is seeking to showcase its influence among the world’s estimated 1.7 billion Muslims, particularly in lands once controlled by the Ottoman Empire, at the two-day summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) which it will chair for the next two years.But the meeting bringing together over 30 heads of state and government has been shadowed by sectarian-tinged conflicts in Syria and Yemen that have pitted Shia Muslims — led by regional power Iran — against Sunni Muslim powers like Saudi Arabia.Key guests at the summit included Saudi King Salman and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, in a rare public encounter although there were reports the two men had exchanged words.“I believe the greatest challenge we need to surmount is sectarianism. My religion is not that of Sunnis, of Shiites. My religion is Islam,” Erdogan said in his opening speech.“We should be uniting. Out of the conflicts, the tyranny, only the Muslims suffer,” he said, adding the summit meeting could be a “turning point” for the whole Islamic world.Erdogan lashed out at Islamic State (IS) jihadists who seized swathes of Syria and Boko Haram Islamist extremists in Nigeria as two “terrorist organizations that are serving the same evil purpose.”He said that the OIC had accepted a Turkish proposal to set up a multinational police coordination center for Islamic states to fight militants, to be based in Istanbul.“We need to establish an organization to further strengthen cooperation in the fight against terror,” he said.-Turkey-Egypt friction-A security lockdown has been thrown around the summit venue in Istanbul, the former capital of the Ottoman Empire from where the Sultans for centuries ruled Muslims from the Balkans to Arabia.Some 5,000 extra police have been deployed in Istanbul to ensure the event passes smoothly after two deadly suicide attacks blamed on jihadists in Istanbul this year alone.But Turkey’s own policies in the Middle East have been controversial, with several Muslim states objecting to the Islamic-rooted government’s backing of rebels in Syria.While the summit marks one of the most significant gatherings of heads of state for years in Istanbul, some high profile leaders like Jordan’s King Abdullah and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi are notable by their absence.Turkey’s relations with Cairo have still not recovered from the 2013 ousting of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, a close ally of Ankara, while ties with Amman are being tested by differences over Syria.Turkey took over the chairmanship of the OIC from Egypt, whose Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry read a brief message from Sisi emphasizing Cairo’s commitment to the group.Shoukry conspicuously made no reference to the Turkish president in his speech but Erdogan also pointedly thanked Cairo for its efforts.-Salman exposes Iran split-The run-up to the summit saw a landmark visit by King Salman to the Turkish capital Ankara which highlighted the dramatic improvement in ties between Turkey and Saudi since he came to the throne in 2015.Overseen by Erdogan and Salman, the two countries’ foreign ministers on Thursday signed a memorandum on creating a Saudi-Turkish Coordination Council to further deepen bilateral relations.Addressing the summit, Salman said “we are obliged today, more than ever, to fight terrorism” and appeared to lash out at Tehran, without naming the Islamic Republic.He denounced “flagrant interference in the affairs of several Islamic countries… instigating sedition and divisions, inciting sectarianism and using armed militia to undermine our security,” according to the official SPA agency.Saudi Arabia and Turkey both believe the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad is the key to solving the Syrian conflict and back rebel groups fighting his regime.Analysts have warned however that Turkey needs to tread carefully in its alliance with Saudi Arabia, which is also overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim, so it is not seen as a sectarian union aimed at Shiite Iran.In a sign of Ankara’s desire to maintain a delicate balance, Rouhani is due to begin a bilateral visit to Turkey after the summit.
RIGHT AFTER LAST NIGHTS DEMONUTS DEBATE IN NEW YORK.BERNIE BIRDY SOCIALIST-COMMUNIST SANDERS IS NOW HEADING TO THE VATICAN IN ROME.WHAT WILL BERNIE DO WITH A LOOK AT THE VATICAN IS MY QUESTION.SHOULD HE NOT BE GOING TO RUSSIA TO MEET WITH PUTIN HIS SOCIALIST COMMUNIST BUDDY.
UPDATE-APRIL 14,2016-11:43PM
WELL I LOVED LAST NIGHT WHEN BERNIE SANDERS AGAIN ASKED HITLER 2ND TO RELEASE HER SECRET BANKER TRANSCRIPTS WERE SHE GOT $250,000.00 FOR HER BANKER SUCK UP SPEECHES. SHE TRYED TO IGNORE THE QUESTION.LEFT-RIGHT AND CENTER.AND HER MAIN GUY ADVISER JOHN PODESTA WAS ASKED ABOUT IT AFTER THE DEBATE ALSO.AND HE WAS JUST AS SHEEPISH FACED ABOUT IT ALSO. DEFLECTING THE TRANSCRIPT QUESTIONS TO SANDERS INCOME TAX RETURNS INSTEAD. THERE DEFINATELY IS DAMING WORDS HITLER SAID TO THEM BANKERS SPEECHES.TO PROVE THEY CONTROL HER.AND SHE WILLINGLY OBEYED THESE BANKERS TO DO WHAT THEY WANT HER THE ELITE PUPPET TO DO FOR THEM. YES HITLER 2ND IS GUILTY OF BEING PAID OFF BY THE BANKERS TO GET THEIR WAY. AND ALSO LAST NIGHT. CNN ALLOWED HITLER TO YAP FOR TWICE AS MUCH TIME AS SANDERS. YOU CAN TELL CNN IS THE PUPPET OF CLINTON AND THE BIG MONEY BANKER ELITES. JUST BY ALL THE TIME HITLER WAS GIVEN. AND SANDERS WAS ALWAYS CUT OFF. AND ALSO SANDERS HAS LEFT ALREADY FOR THE VATICAN TO TALK TO THE POPE ABOUT THE GLOBAL ECONOMY. MONEY SYSTEM.
John Kasich links Jesus’ blood to Passover at matzah bakery-In cringe-worthy moment, GOP hopeful says ‘blood of the lamb above the lampposts’ was Christ’s, as he’s known as ‘the lamb of God’-By Uriel Heilman April 14, 2016, 9:19 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
JTA — If Ohio Gov. John Kasich’s visit to Hasidic Brooklyn this week had yielded only one amusing moment, Dayenu – it would have been enough.But, thank God, there were many in the Republican presidential candidate’s visit to a Jewish bookstore, shmura matzah bakery and Hasidic school in Borough Park on Tuesday.“It’s a wonderful, wonderful holiday for our friends in the Jewish community – the Passover,” Kasich told reporters after emerging from the matzah bakery, a box of the fresh-baked stuff in hand.Yes, Jews are known to love The Passover, almost as much they love The Pre-Election Drop-By from vote-seeking politicians.Flanked by Hasidic publicist Ezra Friedlander, Kasich then launched into a brief appraisal of the links between Passover and, um, the blood of Jesus Christ.“The great link between the blood that was put above the lampposts” – er, you mean doorposts, governor — “the blood of the lamb, because Jesus Christ is known as the lamb of God. It’s his blood, we believe …”Kasich’s only saving grace was that his remarks kept getting interrupted by the subway rumbling on the elevated tracks overhead.Talking about Christ’s blood during a visit to Borough Park? Oy vey. Please, somebody, prep this guy. Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn want to hear about food stamps, affordable housing, Medicaid. Ix-nay on the Esus-jay.“He’s very knowledgeable and he takes his religion very seriously,” Friedlander later told JTA in an interview. “In context, I thought it was appropriate.”Friedlander is a registered Democrat who plans to vote for Hillary Clinton in next week’s primary election.Kasich also made the cardinal error of shaking his box of shmura matzah as he spoke to punctuate his remarks – a cringe-worthy move for Jewish shmura matzah consumers. If the high-priced, delicate matzahs inside are broken, they become unsuitable for ritual use.Before visiting the matzah bakery, Kasich ran into a group of young Hasidic men at a Jewish bookstore in Borough Park.“What do you guys do?” the governor asked.“Study,” they said.“And what are you studying?” Kasich asked.“Talmud,” the men responded.“OK, but what are you learning right now?”“Um …” Long pause.“And what is your lesson?” Kasich pressed.“Hilchos Shabbos. The laws of the Sabbath,” they finally responded.“Yeah …” Kasich said. Awkward pause.“You know who I like?” Kasich finally said. “Joseph. You guys like Joseph? You study Joseph? What do you think about Joseph? Did you hear the most important thing Joseph said to his brothers?”Silence.“My brothers, you meant it for evil, but God meant it for good,” said Kasich, an Anglican who was born Roman Catholic.Toward the end of his visit, Kasich told his interlocutors, “Pray for me, would you?”Having one just one state so far in the Republican primary contest, Kasich could use all the help he can get.
Paul Ryan: I can see why Trump comments rattle Mideast allies-Republican House speaker keeps up tacit criticism of controversial comments by party’s presidential front-runner-By AP and Times of Israel staff April 14, 2016, 10:48 pm
WASHINGTON — The whole world is watching American politics, House Speaker Paul Ryan said Thursday, and he can understand how Middle East allies would be rattled by the provocative comments of Republican front-runner Donald Trump.The Wisconsin Republican, who recently led a congressional delegation to the Middle East, dismissed the notion that a war-weary United States could retreat, as reflected by Trump’s demand that allies pay more or else America will step back. Ryan, who has been compelled to tamp down speculation that he could be the GOP’s eventual presidential nominee, said Trump’s approach is unrealistic.“There is a commonality that this has been our problem too long, it shouldn’t be our problem any more if we just pull out, we can fortress America and we will be better off. I don’t buy that,” Ryan told a group of reporters.“The reason I don’t buy that is it is going to come to us. Who else is going to help lead the world … to ultimately extinguish radical Islamic terrorism? And if we just pull back and think our oceans are going to save us, the evidence of the last couple of decades disproves that theory.”The congressional delegation traveled to Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Germany. In an exclusive interview with The Times of Israel during his visit, Ryan said Israel was an “indispensable ally” of the United States’ in the fight against Islamic terror and that no country could force it into an “insecure position” if negotiations for a peace agreement with the Palestinians were renewed.Back on American soil, Ryan faulted President Barack Obama’s foreign policy on dealing with Iran and Syria, and said allies wanted to know if the United States is “still in the game.”He said allies were rattled a bit by administration policy. Asked if Trump’s comments had rattled them as well, Ryan said, “Sure. I get that too. Everybody pays attention to our politics.”Ryan expounded on his tacit criticism of Trump, who has proposed a ban on Muslims coming to the United States. Earlier this year, Ryan rejected that idea. He said allies knew about it and thanked him for speaking out.“When he proposed the Muslim immigration ban, that really got under my skin, so I spoke out very forcefully the day after,” he said. “When you see our beliefs our values and conservative principles being disfigured, you have to speak out for it if you’re a party leader.”Ryan also has assailed Trump on other occasions, but never by name. He complained about Trump’s slow disavowal of white supremacist groups.Ryan, the 2012 vice presidential nominee, hastily called a news conference this week to state that he would not accept his party’s nomination and that the choice should emerge from among the candidates who have sought the party nod, including Trump, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich.But Republicans fear that a Trump nomination will alienate women, minorities and independent voters, costing them not only the White House but control of the Senate as well.On foreign policy, Trump suggested in an interview with The New York Times that the United States boycott oil from Saudi Arabia unless the country provides ground troops in the fight against Islamic State militants. He also has suggested withdrawing US forces from Japan and South Korea if the countries don’t pay more to cover the cost of the American military presence.In other interviews, Trump has said NATO is obsolete and questioned US involvement after more than half a century of ensuring Europe’s protection.During his trip, Ryan said the Saudis “didn’t say Donald Trump this and Donald Trump that. They just said, ‘Where is America?'”The speaker said he raised the issue of allegations of human rights abuses with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi. Secretary of State John Kerry and several Western European nations have rebuked Egypt amid reports of killings, torture and secret detentions.“You make it more difficult for us to be supportive of you when you have so many human rights violations,” Ryan said he told the Egyptian president.Ryan, a foe of the international nuclear agreement with Iran, also expressed concern about business deals with Tehran and other outreach in the aftermath of the landmark pact that lifted years of economic sanctions in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear program.“I worry about that,” Ryan said. “I worry that so much toothpaste is going to get out of the tube that we’re not going to be able to put much back in. And I do believe that next year, with the new government, we need to put as much of this toothpaste back in the tube that we can.”
In Israel’s capital, a pyramid will rise-Daniel Libeskind’s towering three-sided structure receives next stage of Jerusalem municipal approval-By Jessica Steinberg April 14, 2016, 10:32 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
Who says only Egypt builds pyramids? The local committee of the Jerusalem municipality Thursday approved the construction of a three-sided building designed by Polish-American architect Daniel Libeskind, to be built adjacent to the Mahane Yehuda market.A spokesperson in Mayor Nir Barkat’s office verified that the tapering tower had been approved in the local committee. Deputy mayor Tamir Nir, an architect and member of the municipality’s preservation and transportation committees who could shed further light on the project, could not be reached for comment.The unusually shaped building, which would stand out in the warren of low buildings and twisting streets that make up the market neighborhood also known as the shuk, is to be called “The Pyramid.”It will include 200 apartments, a boutique hotel, a public plaza lined with shops and a rooftop observatory and restaurant with views of the city.In a 2014 interview with the Times of Israel, Nir defended high-rise and tower projects in Jerusalem’s downtown and other areas, commenting that those kinds of plans make sense in a growing city.“Jaffa Road shouldn’t be lined with two-story buildings, it’s not right,” he said. “It should be intensive, filled with people and offices. That’s how it is in a city.”Libeskind is working on the structure in collaboration with local architect Yigal Levi, whose offices are located on 33 Jaffa Street, just down the street from the planned building.In a statement on his website, Libeskind said The Pyramid “mediates between ancient traditions and myths,” while providing a 21st century reinterpretation of the ancient structure.“The design complements the context and gives the neighborhood a vibrant public space in the heart of the ancient city,” added Libeskind.According to the description on Libeskind’s website, the city’s history and the area were an important consideration for the design, which will be in a tapering form to allow maximum light to fall on the public plaza and create ample open space.As with many Jerusalem buildings, the façade will feature a pattern composed of Jerusalem stone and glass.There are other new structures in the area of the market, including the 23-story Saidoff Tower, incorporating a cluster of 19th-century homes constructed by Yitzhak Saidoff between Mahane Yehuda market and the central bus station.Next to the knot of Africa Israel buildings is Minrav’s J Tower, also on Jaffa Road, with 23 floors of apartments.
1 CHRONICLES 21:1
1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.
GENESIS 12:1-3
1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I (GOD) will shew thee:
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3 And I will bless them that bless thee,(ISRAELIS) and curse (DESTROY) him that curseth thee:(DESTROY THEM) and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
ISAIAH 41:11
11 Behold, all they that were incensed against thee (ISRAEL) shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing;(DESTROYED) and they that strive with thee shall perish.(ISRAEL HATERS WILL BE TOTALLY DESTROYED)
ISRAELS TROUBLE
JEREMIAH 30:7
7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble;(ISRAEL) but he shall be saved out of it.
DANIEL 12:1,4
1 And at that time shall Michael(ISRAELS WAR ANGEL) stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people:(ISRAEL) and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation(May 14,48) even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro,(WORLD TRAVEL,IMMIGRATION) and knowledge shall be increased.(COMPUTERS,CHIP IMPLANTS ETC)
Hamas bolsters Gaza’s Egypt border in bid to ease tensions-Cairo regularly accuses terror group of supporting attacks on its soil, has largely kept its border crossing with enclave closed since 2013-By AFP April 14, 2016, 11:32 pmTHE TIMES OF ISRAEL
Hamas began deploying additional forces on the Gaza Strip border with Egypt on Thursday, the interior ministry said, in an apparent effort to ease Cairo’s concerns about security.“National security forces started today to increase the number of its troops and double the security bases along all the southern border with Egypt to be able to control the border better,” spokesman Iyad al-Bazm told AFP.He said they had established three new bases immediately.“This is a message that we are concerned with border security and stability,” Bazm said, adding nobody would be allowed “to touch the security of Egypt.”Hamas forces were seen setting up about 10 temporary buildings along the border.Bulldozers flattened the land near the frontier in apparent preparation for more temporary structures.A Palestinian security officer called the measures “important new security arrangements to reassure the brothers in Egypt the border is secure.”A delegation headed by Hamas political bureau member Moussa Abu Marzouk held talks in Egypt last month aimed at normalizing relations that have been strained since the overthrow of Islamist president Mohammed Morsi in 2013.Morsi had good relations with Hamas, the Islamist rulers of the Gaza Strip, but his replacement President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has cracked down on his Muslim Brotherhood movement.Cairo regularly accuses Hamas of supporting attacks in Egypt and has largely kept its border with Gaza closed since 2013.It has also destroyed hundreds of Palestinian tunnels used to smuggle commercial goods, cash, people and, allegedly, weapons.The Hamas interior ministry said 2015 was the worst year for the Rafah border crossing in recent years, saying it was open for just 21 days in total.
IDF: Next conflict with Hamas will take place on Israel’s terms-Top Israeli officer says terror group unprepared for future war, and while it is building new rockets, blockade makes materials hard to obtain-By Judah Ari Gross April 14, 2016, 7:46 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
Hamas is amassing fighters and materiel at a “surprisingly” quick pace in the Gaza Strip, a senior IDF officer told reporters on Thursday, but the terror group does not appear to be prepared for renewed direct conflict with Israel in the near future.He stressed the terrorist organization would not again drag Israel into a war, and that any future conflict will be one undertaken at the initiative of the Jewish state.Since the 2014 Operation Protective Edge in the beleaguered Strip, Hamas has been working tirelessly to replace its diminished ranks and rocket arsenal — and with some success, the high-ranking Southern Command officer told reporters.“Hamas is a highly intelligent enemy. They surprise me and learn their lessons very quickly,” he said.In the nearly two years since summer 2014, the terror organization has replenished some of its ranks, principally in its special forces and commando naval units, the officer said.Hamas now has some 5,000 fighters in its special forces and has also filled out its middle and upper ranks, with 25 battalion and brigade commanders, the official said.Its short-range rocket and mortar programs have become a focus for the organization as well, in order to replace the thousands of missiles fired at Israel during Operation Protective Edge. Some of these new rockets have warheads that contain of hundreds of pounds of explosive material, which Israel has not seen up until now, the officer said.Some medium- and long-range rockets have also been developed, as evident by test-fires into the sea off the Gaza coast, the officer said. However, these efforts have been hindered somewhat by Hamas’s inability to acquire the necessary materials for their construction, due to Israel’s careful guarding of the borders.“Hamas is not yet mass producing mortars because of its difficulties in obtaining raw materials,” he said.The group has, however, made strides in the production of drones and other advanced technologies, under the direction of Iran, the officer added.Unprepared for a full campaign against Israel, the terror organization, which has ruled the Gaza Strip for nearly a decade, now fears the IDF will initiate an attack against it, instead of only responding to Hamas acts of aggression, according to the officer.“Hamas fears a surprise attack,” he said.As such, the organization has worked to prevent instigators from giving Israel any reason to carry out operations in the Strip.“Hamas has created a defensive force that preserves the ceasefire and prevents terror attacks against Israel,” the officer said. “In places where there has been rocket fire, Hamas has rushed to stop those firing [them].”‘Hamas has been mindful to send us messages that it’s working against the terror attacks against us [in the Gaza Strip]’-In the year and a half since the 2014 war, several dozen rockets have been fired at Israel, almost entirely by terror organizations besides Hamas.“Even the recent improvised explosive device incidents — the latest one involved an old IED — were carried out by rogue groups,” he said.In that latest incident, which took place early Friday morning of last week, an IED detonated next to an Israeli D9 bulldozer, causing no injury or damage.“Hamas has been mindful to send us messages that it’s working against the terror attacks against us [in the Gaza Strip],” the officer said.However, the group has also encouraged and applauded the six-month wave of terror attacks taking place in the West Bank and Israel, he added.“This is the assessment of both the IDF and the other security bodies,” the officer said.-Israeli plans for war-The IDF will not be dragged into conflict with Hamas, but will initiate any conflict with the terrorist group, the officer said.“We won’t follow in the enemy’s footsteps,” he added.The IDF has therefore drawn up an extensive battle plan for its troops, including “details and defining characteristics” of the enemy battalions.“We have a plan to overwhelm the military branch of Hamas. Every one of our battalions will fight on its way to a destination, will kill as many Hamas operatives as possible and will harm the organization’s infrastructure as much as possible,” he said.“This plan rests on the defense of the area surrounding the Gaza Strip — under the authority of the Gaza Division — while moving the areas [where troops] gather away from the threat of mortars,” the officer said.This is presumably a lesson learned from 2014’s Operation Protective Edge, in which some of the military casualties came from direct hits of mortar shells on IDF camps set up outside the border.“We need to be surprising and forceful. Our air power will be more meaningful and effective. Not just casual firepower. The plan will allow us different options, from a deterring strike to a full occupation of the Strip,” the Southern Command officer said.-Don’t forget the Islamic State-Across Israel’s southwestern border, a small, but vicious ally of the Islamic State has been waging a bloody war with Egyptian forces since 2011.While the fighting has overwhelmingly remained inside Sinai and against Egypt, the understanding within Israel is that the Jewish state is next.“We have an interest in the Egyptian army defeating the Islamic State and not losing its control over the northern Sinai,” the officer said.Some 1,000 IS fighters are currently in the peninsula, according to the officers, and they are outfitted with some advanced anti-aircraft weaponry and assistance from Hamas, the officer said.“We have allowed [the Egyptians] most of their requests to temporarily bring their troops into the air and land of Sinai,” he said, referring to the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt, which limits the number of soldiers that can enter the peninsula.“However, the entrance of artillery into the area, we have refused,” he added.
Mother of Hebron soldier pleads with PM for his release-In letter, parent of infantryman asks Netanyahu how on his watch an IDF soldier who kills a terrorist can be charged with manslaughter-By Times of Israel staff April 14, 2016, 11:21 pm
The mother of the IDF soldier facing manslaughter charges for shooting dead a disarmed Palestinian attacker in Hebron last month issued a public plea Thursday to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to have her son released.Earlier, the military prosecution lodged a declaration with the court that it will file the manslaughter indictment against the soldier early next week. The IDF’s chief prosecutor was also seeking to have the soldier remanded in jail until Monday, while his attorney argued the case could proceed without the suspect in custody.In a letter to the prime minister cited by Channel 2 television, the soldier’s mother said: “I ask you now, as the mother of a fighter, please do everything you can to make sure my son comes home.”“Enough is enough, I write to you with hands shaking, with a lump in my throat, [as] my family is falling apart. Every moment without my son, we are growing weaker,” she wrote.The soldier under investigation, whose name has been withheld by a gag order, was filmed shooting 21-year-old Abdel Fattah al-Sharif in the head on March 24, minutes after Sharif and another assailant stabbed and moderately wounded a soldier in Tel Rumeida, an Israeli enclave of Hebron. The two assailants were shot — one was killed, while Sharif was wounded — by an army officer during the course of their attack.The soldier and his family maintain that he believed al-Sharif might have had a suicide vest on and that he shot him out fear he might activate the bomb. Military prosecutors have reportedly said the soldier’s behavior at the scene did not indicate any such concern.“Is it appropriate that a fighter who neutralized a terrorist at the site of an attack be detained almost a whole month?” she asked, expressing her outrage over the manslaughter charge.“Manslaughter, for God’s sake, for neutralizing a terrorist! Is it conceivable that a dedicated, moral, acclaimed fighter be accused of manslaughter, under your watch, for shooting a terrorist?” she asked in her letter to Netanyahu.The soldier, who shot and killed Sharif some 10 minutes after he’d already been incapacitated and disarmed, was arrested by military police, but has been out of jail in supervised detention on an army base, amid a roiling political scandal over his actions and the military’s response.Prosecutor Adoram Reigler told the court last week that the military had gathered enough evidence to move forward with the manslaughter charge against the soldier, the Ynet news website said.Right-wing politicians and the soldier’s family have claimed he was “lynched” by the media, and demonstrators have called for him to be released.IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot has been criticized for the decision to investigate the incident, and Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon’s support of the military leader and condemnation of the act brought him into the row as well.“This is a case of a soldier gone bad, not a hero,” Ya’alon told the Knesset on March 28, as he slammed “all the fervor and false information and manipulation and attacks on the IDF chief.”Ya’alon has subsequently reiterated his critique of those who back the soldier, declaring last week that the IDF top brass and not “gang leaders” would determine how the IDF operates.The defense minister has come under an intense backlash for his comments and criticism against him took an extreme turn earlier this month, when doctored images of Ya’alon in the cross-hairs began circulating on a WhatsApp group for Likud activists. The images were accompanied by text declaring him “politically eliminated!” The text also reportedly said that since Ya’alon had criticized the soldier’s supporters, the Likud Central Committee would “assassinate” him in the party’s next internal elections.The accused soldier’s father has come out against the “incitement campaign” against Ya’alon while urging him to ensure his son has a fair trial given his “rush to judge” the soldier.
Erdogan urges Muslims to overcome splits, fight terror-At conference of Islamic body, Turkish president suggests multi-national police center to fight against jihadists-By Stuart Williams April 14, 2016, 9:54 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
ISTANBUL, Turkey (AFP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday urged dozens of Muslim leaders gathered for a summit in Istanbul to end sectarian divisions in the Islamic world and join forces to fight terror.Turkey is seeking to showcase its influence among the world’s estimated 1.7 billion Muslims, particularly in lands once controlled by the Ottoman Empire, at the two-day summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) which it will chair for the next two years.But the meeting bringing together over 30 heads of state and government has been shadowed by sectarian-tinged conflicts in Syria and Yemen that have pitted Shia Muslims — led by regional power Iran — against Sunni Muslim powers like Saudi Arabia.Key guests at the summit included Saudi King Salman and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, in a rare public encounter although there were reports the two men had exchanged words.“I believe the greatest challenge we need to surmount is sectarianism. My religion is not that of Sunnis, of Shiites. My religion is Islam,” Erdogan said in his opening speech.“We should be uniting. Out of the conflicts, the tyranny, only the Muslims suffer,” he said, adding the summit meeting could be a “turning point” for the whole Islamic world.Erdogan lashed out at Islamic State (IS) jihadists who seized swathes of Syria and Boko Haram Islamist extremists in Nigeria as two “terrorist organizations that are serving the same evil purpose.”He said that the OIC had accepted a Turkish proposal to set up a multinational police coordination center for Islamic states to fight militants, to be based in Istanbul.“We need to establish an organization to further strengthen cooperation in the fight against terror,” he said.-Turkey-Egypt friction-A security lockdown has been thrown around the summit venue in Istanbul, the former capital of the Ottoman Empire from where the Sultans for centuries ruled Muslims from the Balkans to Arabia.Some 5,000 extra police have been deployed in Istanbul to ensure the event passes smoothly after two deadly suicide attacks blamed on jihadists in Istanbul this year alone.But Turkey’s own policies in the Middle East have been controversial, with several Muslim states objecting to the Islamic-rooted government’s backing of rebels in Syria.While the summit marks one of the most significant gatherings of heads of state for years in Istanbul, some high profile leaders like Jordan’s King Abdullah and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi are notable by their absence.Turkey’s relations with Cairo have still not recovered from the 2013 ousting of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, a close ally of Ankara, while ties with Amman are being tested by differences over Syria.Turkey took over the chairmanship of the OIC from Egypt, whose Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry read a brief message from Sisi emphasizing Cairo’s commitment to the group.Shoukry conspicuously made no reference to the Turkish president in his speech but Erdogan also pointedly thanked Cairo for its efforts.-Salman exposes Iran split-The run-up to the summit saw a landmark visit by King Salman to the Turkish capital Ankara which highlighted the dramatic improvement in ties between Turkey and Saudi since he came to the throne in 2015.Overseen by Erdogan and Salman, the two countries’ foreign ministers on Thursday signed a memorandum on creating a Saudi-Turkish Coordination Council to further deepen bilateral relations.Addressing the summit, Salman said “we are obliged today, more than ever, to fight terrorism” and appeared to lash out at Tehran, without naming the Islamic Republic.He denounced “flagrant interference in the affairs of several Islamic countries… instigating sedition and divisions, inciting sectarianism and using armed militia to undermine our security,” according to the official SPA agency.Saudi Arabia and Turkey both believe the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad is the key to solving the Syrian conflict and back rebel groups fighting his regime.Analysts have warned however that Turkey needs to tread carefully in its alliance with Saudi Arabia, which is also overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim, so it is not seen as a sectarian union aimed at Shiite Iran.In a sign of Ankara’s desire to maintain a delicate balance, Rouhani is due to begin a bilateral visit to Turkey after the summit.
RIGHT AFTER LAST NIGHTS DEMONUTS DEBATE IN NEW YORK.BERNIE BIRDY SOCIALIST-COMMUNIST SANDERS IS NOW HEADING TO THE VATICAN IN ROME.WHAT WILL BERNIE DO WITH A LOOK AT THE VATICAN IS MY QUESTION.SHOULD HE NOT BE GOING TO RUSSIA TO MEET WITH PUTIN HIS SOCIALIST COMMUNIST BUDDY.
UPDATE-APRIL 14,2016-11:43PM
WELL I LOVED LAST NIGHT WHEN BERNIE SANDERS AGAIN ASKED HITLER 2ND TO RELEASE HER SECRET BANKER TRANSCRIPTS WERE SHE GOT $250,000.00 FOR HER BANKER SUCK UP SPEECHES. SHE TRYED TO IGNORE THE QUESTION.LEFT-RIGHT AND CENTER.AND HER MAIN GUY ADVISER JOHN PODESTA WAS ASKED ABOUT IT AFTER THE DEBATE ALSO.AND HE WAS JUST AS SHEEPISH FACED ABOUT IT ALSO. DEFLECTING THE TRANSCRIPT QUESTIONS TO SANDERS INCOME TAX RETURNS INSTEAD. THERE DEFINATELY IS DAMING WORDS HITLER SAID TO THEM BANKERS SPEECHES.TO PROVE THEY CONTROL HER.AND SHE WILLINGLY OBEYED THESE BANKERS TO DO WHAT THEY WANT HER THE ELITE PUPPET TO DO FOR THEM. YES HITLER 2ND IS GUILTY OF BEING PAID OFF BY THE BANKERS TO GET THEIR WAY. AND ALSO LAST NIGHT. CNN ALLOWED HITLER TO YAP FOR TWICE AS MUCH TIME AS SANDERS. YOU CAN TELL CNN IS THE PUPPET OF CLINTON AND THE BIG MONEY BANKER ELITES. JUST BY ALL THE TIME HITLER WAS GIVEN. AND SANDERS WAS ALWAYS CUT OFF. AND ALSO SANDERS HAS LEFT ALREADY FOR THE VATICAN TO TALK TO THE POPE ABOUT THE GLOBAL ECONOMY. MONEY SYSTEM.
John Kasich links Jesus’ blood to Passover at matzah bakery-In cringe-worthy moment, GOP hopeful says ‘blood of the lamb above the lampposts’ was Christ’s, as he’s known as ‘the lamb of God’-By Uriel Heilman April 14, 2016, 9:19 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
JTA — If Ohio Gov. John Kasich’s visit to Hasidic Brooklyn this week had yielded only one amusing moment, Dayenu – it would have been enough.But, thank God, there were many in the Republican presidential candidate’s visit to a Jewish bookstore, shmura matzah bakery and Hasidic school in Borough Park on Tuesday.“It’s a wonderful, wonderful holiday for our friends in the Jewish community – the Passover,” Kasich told reporters after emerging from the matzah bakery, a box of the fresh-baked stuff in hand.Yes, Jews are known to love The Passover, almost as much they love The Pre-Election Drop-By from vote-seeking politicians.Flanked by Hasidic publicist Ezra Friedlander, Kasich then launched into a brief appraisal of the links between Passover and, um, the blood of Jesus Christ.“The great link between the blood that was put above the lampposts” – er, you mean doorposts, governor — “the blood of the lamb, because Jesus Christ is known as the lamb of God. It’s his blood, we believe …”Kasich’s only saving grace was that his remarks kept getting interrupted by the subway rumbling on the elevated tracks overhead.Talking about Christ’s blood during a visit to Borough Park? Oy vey. Please, somebody, prep this guy. Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn want to hear about food stamps, affordable housing, Medicaid. Ix-nay on the Esus-jay.“He’s very knowledgeable and he takes his religion very seriously,” Friedlander later told JTA in an interview. “In context, I thought it was appropriate.”Friedlander is a registered Democrat who plans to vote for Hillary Clinton in next week’s primary election.Kasich also made the cardinal error of shaking his box of shmura matzah as he spoke to punctuate his remarks – a cringe-worthy move for Jewish shmura matzah consumers. If the high-priced, delicate matzahs inside are broken, they become unsuitable for ritual use.Before visiting the matzah bakery, Kasich ran into a group of young Hasidic men at a Jewish bookstore in Borough Park.“What do you guys do?” the governor asked.“Study,” they said.“And what are you studying?” Kasich asked.“Talmud,” the men responded.“OK, but what are you learning right now?”“Um …” Long pause.“And what is your lesson?” Kasich pressed.“Hilchos Shabbos. The laws of the Sabbath,” they finally responded.“Yeah …” Kasich said. Awkward pause.“You know who I like?” Kasich finally said. “Joseph. You guys like Joseph? You study Joseph? What do you think about Joseph? Did you hear the most important thing Joseph said to his brothers?”Silence.“My brothers, you meant it for evil, but God meant it for good,” said Kasich, an Anglican who was born Roman Catholic.Toward the end of his visit, Kasich told his interlocutors, “Pray for me, would you?”Having one just one state so far in the Republican primary contest, Kasich could use all the help he can get.
Paul Ryan: I can see why Trump comments rattle Mideast allies-Republican House speaker keeps up tacit criticism of controversial comments by party’s presidential front-runner-By AP and Times of Israel staff April 14, 2016, 10:48 pm
WASHINGTON — The whole world is watching American politics, House Speaker Paul Ryan said Thursday, and he can understand how Middle East allies would be rattled by the provocative comments of Republican front-runner Donald Trump.The Wisconsin Republican, who recently led a congressional delegation to the Middle East, dismissed the notion that a war-weary United States could retreat, as reflected by Trump’s demand that allies pay more or else America will step back. Ryan, who has been compelled to tamp down speculation that he could be the GOP’s eventual presidential nominee, said Trump’s approach is unrealistic.“There is a commonality that this has been our problem too long, it shouldn’t be our problem any more if we just pull out, we can fortress America and we will be better off. I don’t buy that,” Ryan told a group of reporters.“The reason I don’t buy that is it is going to come to us. Who else is going to help lead the world … to ultimately extinguish radical Islamic terrorism? And if we just pull back and think our oceans are going to save us, the evidence of the last couple of decades disproves that theory.”The congressional delegation traveled to Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Germany. In an exclusive interview with The Times of Israel during his visit, Ryan said Israel was an “indispensable ally” of the United States’ in the fight against Islamic terror and that no country could force it into an “insecure position” if negotiations for a peace agreement with the Palestinians were renewed.Back on American soil, Ryan faulted President Barack Obama’s foreign policy on dealing with Iran and Syria, and said allies wanted to know if the United States is “still in the game.”He said allies were rattled a bit by administration policy. Asked if Trump’s comments had rattled them as well, Ryan said, “Sure. I get that too. Everybody pays attention to our politics.”Ryan expounded on his tacit criticism of Trump, who has proposed a ban on Muslims coming to the United States. Earlier this year, Ryan rejected that idea. He said allies knew about it and thanked him for speaking out.“When he proposed the Muslim immigration ban, that really got under my skin, so I spoke out very forcefully the day after,” he said. “When you see our beliefs our values and conservative principles being disfigured, you have to speak out for it if you’re a party leader.”Ryan also has assailed Trump on other occasions, but never by name. He complained about Trump’s slow disavowal of white supremacist groups.Ryan, the 2012 vice presidential nominee, hastily called a news conference this week to state that he would not accept his party’s nomination and that the choice should emerge from among the candidates who have sought the party nod, including Trump, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich.But Republicans fear that a Trump nomination will alienate women, minorities and independent voters, costing them not only the White House but control of the Senate as well.On foreign policy, Trump suggested in an interview with The New York Times that the United States boycott oil from Saudi Arabia unless the country provides ground troops in the fight against Islamic State militants. He also has suggested withdrawing US forces from Japan and South Korea if the countries don’t pay more to cover the cost of the American military presence.In other interviews, Trump has said NATO is obsolete and questioned US involvement after more than half a century of ensuring Europe’s protection.During his trip, Ryan said the Saudis “didn’t say Donald Trump this and Donald Trump that. They just said, ‘Where is America?'”The speaker said he raised the issue of allegations of human rights abuses with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi. Secretary of State John Kerry and several Western European nations have rebuked Egypt amid reports of killings, torture and secret detentions.“You make it more difficult for us to be supportive of you when you have so many human rights violations,” Ryan said he told the Egyptian president.Ryan, a foe of the international nuclear agreement with Iran, also expressed concern about business deals with Tehran and other outreach in the aftermath of the landmark pact that lifted years of economic sanctions in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear program.“I worry about that,” Ryan said. “I worry that so much toothpaste is going to get out of the tube that we’re not going to be able to put much back in. And I do believe that next year, with the new government, we need to put as much of this toothpaste back in the tube that we can.”
In Israel’s capital, a pyramid will rise-Daniel Libeskind’s towering three-sided structure receives next stage of Jerusalem municipal approval-By Jessica Steinberg April 14, 2016, 10:32 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
Who says only Egypt builds pyramids? The local committee of the Jerusalem municipality Thursday approved the construction of a three-sided building designed by Polish-American architect Daniel Libeskind, to be built adjacent to the Mahane Yehuda market.A spokesperson in Mayor Nir Barkat’s office verified that the tapering tower had been approved in the local committee. Deputy mayor Tamir Nir, an architect and member of the municipality’s preservation and transportation committees who could shed further light on the project, could not be reached for comment.The unusually shaped building, which would stand out in the warren of low buildings and twisting streets that make up the market neighborhood also known as the shuk, is to be called “The Pyramid.”It will include 200 apartments, a boutique hotel, a public plaza lined with shops and a rooftop observatory and restaurant with views of the city.In a 2014 interview with the Times of Israel, Nir defended high-rise and tower projects in Jerusalem’s downtown and other areas, commenting that those kinds of plans make sense in a growing city.“Jaffa Road shouldn’t be lined with two-story buildings, it’s not right,” he said. “It should be intensive, filled with people and offices. That’s how it is in a city.”Libeskind is working on the structure in collaboration with local architect Yigal Levi, whose offices are located on 33 Jaffa Street, just down the street from the planned building.In a statement on his website, Libeskind said The Pyramid “mediates between ancient traditions and myths,” while providing a 21st century reinterpretation of the ancient structure.“The design complements the context and gives the neighborhood a vibrant public space in the heart of the ancient city,” added Libeskind.According to the description on Libeskind’s website, the city’s history and the area were an important consideration for the design, which will be in a tapering form to allow maximum light to fall on the public plaza and create ample open space.As with many Jerusalem buildings, the façade will feature a pattern composed of Jerusalem stone and glass.There are other new structures in the area of the market, including the 23-story Saidoff Tower, incorporating a cluster of 19th-century homes constructed by Yitzhak Saidoff between Mahane Yehuda market and the central bus station.Next to the knot of Africa Israel buildings is Minrav’s J Tower, also on Jaffa Road, with 23 floors of apartments.
